Leaving drinks at the JK Camp bar

Saturday night we went to the camp bar for a few drinks to celebrate our impending departure (at least for some of us). It was a good night and several people joined us. Still did not manage to empty my bar card though, so I sold it on to our friend Charles, from Atlanta, at a heavy discount. I hope he makes the most of it. Althought I believe he will be leaving after this rotation. Things are just so unstable here!

A Christmas scene in Qatar

The JK Camp Mess Hall has been cheered up a bit by a lovely Christmas scene. Great for those people who celebrate Christmas and will be here during the festive season. Our good friend Mohsin left site on Saturday and will be heading back to India. It has been a pleasure knowing him and working with him, so here's wishing him well for the future. Mohsin can also be seen saying goodbye to John Wooley, one of our resident Foundation Fieldbus enginners, who will also be departing over the next week or so, to the UK, back to his North-Eastern roots.

Qatar leaver's final BBQ

In good-old Ozzie tradition, Jeff Allen did a BBQ for the people leaving before the end of the year. Some really good tucker! Madhavi made a new friend. That cat hung around for the duration of the BBQ, and had it's fair share of meat. Well, this is it, my last blog, as we are getting ready to go to Doha airport, ready, willing and able to depart before somebody tries to call us back for another rotation. Thank you to all those people who followed this blog. I hope that you all enjoyed it. This is Rob Gent checking out from the Middle East. Take care y'all!

T minus 5-days to take off

Just 5 days to go now before I board that Qatar Airways flight back to the UK and normality, after 18 months in the heat. A few of us will be leaving site for good next week, but Jill Frost (Honeywell site administration manager), pictured left, is on her way home this week to pick her daughter up in Alabama, US, followed by a few days at Disney World, Orlando, Florida. After a much welcome 3 week break, Jill will be returning for another rotation, but we will be gone, never to be seen again! So here's wishing Jill the best of luck, a great Christmas and a happy new year. Have fun at Disney World!

We would all like to have our cake and eat it. Well this week, Keith Burton made it possible, by returning from his break with a muffin large enough to feed everybody on site for a week. Ok then, a few Honeywell staff for one day! Thanks Keith, now I need another hour in the gym!

Just been to the camp medical centre for a final check up. Weight was up a bit (too many doughnuts), blood sugar was well down, but cholestrol, which has been low since I came to site, was quite high. So my challenge for the new year, having got Christmas out of the way, is to exercise some of the extra weight off and reduce my cholestrol level.

Anyway, now off to my final JK camp lunch, to put on a little more weight. So, see you soon.

My Leaving Letter

Yesterday I received my demobilazation letter from our site commisioning manager Anguel Gazenov. I had already said that I was not keen to stay here much longer, so I was expecting to leave just before Christmas. Anyway I have two more weeks out here before flying back home on 22nd December. Our Northern friend John Cunnell (picture), one of the Phoenix club members, and owner of the 5o5 club, is one of the latest victims. He, along with Phoenix club owner Joe Wegener and member from Scotland, Michael O'Hare, have departed from site this week. John is looking for work in Australia, but before that will visit the uk for a week or so before heading back home in the Philipinnes to his wife, and laying by the pool for a few weeks. We had a few drinks at the JK Camp bar, to say goodbye to the above people. It was a good evening. No picture though!

I managed to return to the gym for two and a half hours this morning, after a three week break. My legs are killing me now, so I may just rest after lunch, and have a lazy afternoon. Later!